Launched: Yamaha Ray Z

There is no doubt that the Yamaha Ray is a good-looking scooter. Sadly, with Yamaha going on about the Ray being a ladies-only scooter, we are sure some of Yamaha’s diehard male fans (including us) would have been disappointed, or worse still, would have looked at rivals' products.

For those diehard fans, Yamaha has launched the Ray Z and just like you thought, it has been targeted squarely at the male audience. As you can see from these pictures, the Yamaha Ray Z is not very different visually from the regular Ray. It also carries the same 113cc, 7bhp motor found in your ladies-spec Ray. Yamaha says the Ray Z will still return 53 kilometres to the litre.

To make the scooter more attractive to men, Yamaha has given it a choice of three new paint options: a combination of red and black, white and black and the very popular all-black treatment. Adding sportiness to the Ray Z are a visor, decals, and an optional chequered pattern on the lower end of the rear seat. We would have also preferred a set of disc brakes upfront, at least as an optional extra, but sadly, Yamaha doesn't agree.

As mentioned earlier, the Yamaha Ray was never a bad looking scooter, and now with sporty graphics and all this black paint (our favourite!) the Ray Z looks all set to take the Y chromosome by storm. The Yamaha Ray Z will cost Rs 48,555 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Yamaha has also revealed to TopGear India that along with its wide range of motorcycles, the Japanese two-wheeler giant will now focus on the scooter market as well, which has seen a steady growth in the recent past. So with the Ray catering to the fairer sex, and now the Ray Z for the gentlemen, what next? A powerful scooter for the enthusiasts?